I
am a man
Cut from the know
rarely do friends
Come and then
go
She was a girl
Soft but estranged
we were the two
our
lives rearranged...
Breaking the Girl, the Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Makings of a Resolution
LUCAS HAD LEFT on a Tuesday.
Her French AP was on that Friday morning, her AP Literature and European History had followed the week after on Monday and Thursday respectively. But all she could think about was Charleston and leaving... and Lucas, Charleston, leaving— It occupied her mind in a nauseating circle.
Today however was Tuesday.
She was leaving on a Tuesday and was desperately trying to fight her romantic beliefs in serendipity. She was a practical girl who should be worrying about her AP scores and the big ballet recital that was coming up in the end of July. She should be worrying about missing dance practice and the chances of her parents taking their bi-yearly interest in her life so that they could call themselves parents. Her brain should be fried with characters and dates and verbs and stress.
But it wasn't.
She had spent two long weeks preoccupied with nothing but this trip. Her heart couldn't let go of Lucas and Charleston for even just a minute. And right now, she was a mess of nerves because Karen, Lucas' mother, was dropping her off at the airport.
Brooke didn't understand why she agreed to the older woman's suggest of company to the airport. She had a feeling that Lucas had suggested it to his mother, but the meeting between the two of them had been no less than awkward and very brief. The hospital had been a bad place for the both of them.
A combination of Lucas' quiet begging and Karen's insistence pushed her to agree to Karen's offer, against all her logic and reasoning.
"Do you want me to wait with you before you head down to the gate? It's a little early."
Brooke was startled out of her thoughts, but then shrugged. She was not entirely comfortable with Karen's attempt of being kind. The older woman's genuine concern caused a heart-wrenching twist of her heart.
"No," she responded quietly. "I don't want to hold you up or anything. I'm no stranger to airports. My parents have certainly shipped me off more times than I care to remember. I'll— I'll be fine."
Karen placed a gentle arm around her shoulder. "I'm not going to leave you here alone, Brooke. I'm the frazzled, worried type. This isn't good for my blood pressure."
A tentative smile found its way across her lips. She couldn't help the feelings of warmth and comfort that rose with Karen's decree. Her own mother could even say something like this to her.
"I'm sorry," she confessed. "I'm just so used to doing everything by myself. My parents... My parents left me to fend for myself at an early age. I had to learn how to do this all by default."
"It must have been hard."
Brooke didn't miss the look of mixed pity that crossed her face. Spotting a couple chairs outside the makeshift coffee shop before security, she motioned Karen to follow. Placing her shoulder bag on the ground, she sat and began to talk again.
"I was seven when I began to understand that my parents didn't want to be parents," she trailed off quietly. "How could I not? My nanny barely spoke a word of English. But I learned quickly, I guess. Don't get me wrong, I occasionally disillusion myself on birthdays and holidays. The truth is they're really just like any other stranger on the street."
Karen leaned forward. "I'm sorry for—"
Brooke shook her head, her hair falling into her eyes. She fumbled nervously with her cell phone. "It's fine, Ms. Roe—"
"Call me Karen," the older woman interrupted. "Ms. Roe makes me feel way too old."
"All right, Karen," she mumbled. "Don't worry about bringing my parents up. It's a question that I should be getting used to by now."
Karen's eyes softened and she reached over, taking Brooke's hand in her own. "You're a strong girl, Brooke. Lucas was right about you."
She blushed at the compliment against her will. "I'm glad we had this time... to talk and all," she confessed quietly.
"I'm glad too, Brooke," Karen replied. "Especially under these circumstances."
Brooke said nothing but flashed a small smile. Lucas' accident seemed to still be a shaky and terrible memory for the both of them, especially since it was the escalated start of her turbulent relationship with Lucas.
Would Charleston be enough of a start to repair the scars?
"I think it's time for me to go through the security check and to my gate," she said finally, checking her watch.
"All right."
Both women stood, Brooke silently gathering her purse and book for the plane ride to Charleston. Charleston. Am I making the right choice?
She swallowed.
Why didn't I say no?
"You have a safe trip," Karen murmured as Brooke handed her identification and boarding pass to the security guard.
This was really happening.
Brooke prepared herself to enter what could possibly be the most surreal week of her life, but was thrown into a moment of emotional disarray when Karen pulled her into a hug.
"You take care of my son," she whispered. "And... And Keith too. Please make sure that the apartment is at least half-way furnished."
"I will," she murmured with a shaky smile.
"And call me too," Karen added. "Let me know that you got in okay."
Brooke bit back tears and forced herself to swallow to regain some semblance of emotional control. The real concern in Karen's eyes was making her an emotional mess.
"I— I will."
I'll try. This is my heart I'm risking.
TBC
A/N: Thank you so much, guys! I'm so happy with all the reviews I'm getting for this story. It makes my stressful week a great start. College sucks I'll tell you, but the OTH season premiere is in one week so I think I'll manage.
Up next: Brooke. Lucas. The airport. A phone call.
